Shakeology Review – Everything You Need to Know

Slavko

Searching for a meal replacement that offers a variety of healthy ingredients as well as promising some really great benefits on your overall health and body, you probably stumbled across Beachbody’s Shakeology.

Being quite active myself, fitness junkie really, I gave it a thought, read couple of Shakeology reviews and decided to buy Shakeology as to judge for myself.

And if you are hesitant as whether to spend some money and try something that claims to give all those benefits, keep reading since this Shakeology review will cover everything you need to know about the product that I came across while using it. You can say I have a neck for detail (just keep scrolling), but I love going in-depth when describing products that I’ve tried.

I will try to present you with a review that is not biased at all. I hate those people writing flowery prose as to advocate something. Vomit right?

How I came across Shakeology

As I mentioned above, I’m quite the fitness junkie. And looking for the next fitness routine I stumbled across a workout program called The Insanity Workout. Not only that it was the most demanding physical activity I ever did, but I struggled to find the energy to complete it.

Couple of months after completing it I decided to do it again (leave the fitness nerd alone). However, this time quite aware of what I was going against, the decision was to try something that will promise me the boost in energy. Knowing about Shakeology even before, though quite skeptical I must add, I decided to order it and give it a try.

The main things concerning me were mostly in terms of whether or not this product would deliver what it has promised energy wise, as well as what kind of impact it would have on my health. I was also worried about the fact that I have food cravings almost all of the time, so intending to replace a meal with something in the form of liquid was already sounding downright stupid.

Reading Shakeology reviews for me was as good a place to start as any as to gain some perspective on how much it delivers. Truth be told, it promises quite a lot, hence the skeptic in me was concerned.

On a related note, we’ve just launched a workout program that is totally customizable, free to try out, and way cheaper than any of the Beachbody programs or Beachbody On Demand. You can also combine it with Shakeology.

What does it offer?

If you are looking for a magic bullet that will solve all your health and weight loss problems then keep looking. You may ask whether this is some steroid like supplement, and in short that’s a NO.

Shakeology is, as they claim to be, a meal replacement comprising various healthy and natural nutrients.

Meal replacement

Referring to it as nutrition simplified, you already gain the picture that this product is meant to actually replace a meal. That is in short the description of Shakeology, a meal replacement. However, they offer quite more than just the equivalent of a meal in terms of nutrition.You save a lot of time when compared to preparing and consuming a conventional meal. And for some guys like me, who believe that nutrition is necessity rather than entertainment, this is a jewel.

Detox and a better absorption of nutrients

Shakeology claims to have a detox effect on your body as well as promote a better absorption of nutrients. As for the detox, it is quite noticeable after a while since you feel refreshed, more alarmed as well as feeling better in general. I was even being told that I have a glow. An Interesting thing to hear for someone who doesn’t do well with compliments. Anyway…

As for the part of promoting better absorption of nutrients, it becomes quite logical since Shakeology is nothing but nutrients. Actually all the things the body really needs and nothing more. The increased energy levels are partially due to this since not only do you use the nutrients from Shakeology more, but your body is also learning to use more nutrients from all the other meals throughout the day.

Weight loss

The interesting part is that it promotes weight loss. And when it comes down to the point it’s really just a simple math. By replacing one meal daily where you stuff your body with 50% unnecessary nutrition, here you are actually supplying it with no more than it needs as in order to function. Doing the math over the period of using it, it makes sense.

The thing that helps the most with losing weight is probably the fact that Shakeology eliminates food cravings. Right before writing this review I took my daily dosage, and I feel quite full. And the thing is, you feel this way for the bigger part of the day. This is either due to the claims for eliminating food cravings, or a simple side effect of teaching your body to need less in terms of quantity.

Improved digestion

For someone who used to eat a lot and did a load of physical activity, it’s a strange feeling. It’s like you feel lighter and all that tension you never even quite noticed is gone. Once again, this may also be just the fact that you consume less int terms of quantity.

Lower cholesterol

Doing the Insanity workout I cannot really track all the results and assign them to the one or the other. And albeit I never had any particular problems with cholesterol an improvement is still apparent.

Cognitive focus

With energy levels increasing (more about that later on) you will most definitely notice an improved cognitive focus as well. It is balance and clarity of mind similar to nothing of the like, when no other techniques are applied. Like a friend of mine said: “It’s like you did yoga, without the yoga”. This may again be just the exercise speaking, but it seems logical to me (reading about nutrition and all) that healthy nutrients can in fact influence your mental focus.

The ingredients

In this Shakeology review I wanted to familiarize you with the ingredients without you having to search on other sites.

This one is ideal for building and maintaining muscle mass. When compared to the first time I did The Insanity Workout, I definitely see better results in terms of muscle gain. Not only that, but the muscles regenerate faster, not being sore after every other day when working out.
The blood sugar is also steady due to this ingredient.

Found in the way protein are also the essential amino acids, which are responsible for the increased cognitive focus by supporting the brain to promote clarity of mind.
The lack of food craving is also due to this ingredient. Now asking about the quantity, we can decide to trust them or not, but judging the effects that I felt, it seems legit.

These have antioxidant properties, which in short is getting rid of molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals damage cells and are somewhat responsible for the aging process and even more for some degenerative conditions. These Phytonutrients are actually known for preventing many of these conditions, and when taken in mix it is believed that the effect they have on improving the immune system and preventing degenerative conditions is even greater.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are ingredients that support the “friendly” bacteria that help the digestive track. They also help with absorption of certain minerals, most notably Calcium. I guess this is one of the biggest reasons for better and improved digestion.

Digestive Enzymes

Originating from sources like Pineapple and Papaya these enzymes help food to be broken down into its individual components, thus improving absorption of nutrients. If this claim is right, it means that whatever you eat throughout the day is absorbed quite better in terms of nutrients.

23 vitamins and minerals

A certain amount of vitamins and minerals. Though I recently tried not to tilt towards artificial vitamin intake. But if you don’t eat enough of fruits and vegetables, then this is a great feature.

Taste and preparation

At first it tastes strange, tell you that. It resembles a chocolate shake (note that I have only tried the chocolate taste), but you feel the milk too. After a drink or two you get used and it comes really sweat and tasty in fact. Never too tasty though. Some mornings I swallow not that satisfied by the taste. But anyway, I see nutrition and diet as a necessity, remember?

Using a blender you get a smoother texture, though it is still quite thick. However, if you want to make things easier for you in terms of preparation you can use shaker, since the blender requires to be washed and it frankly takes quite additional time. With shaker though, you can feel tiny chunks and the texture is not that smooth. This of course is so only if you add ice. It’s liquid either way, albeit this resembles real food more so I tend to do it this way. It saves me time too, with shaker, that is.

The preparation is quite easy in fact. You just take one scoop of Shakeology and one cup of water or milk. You also add two scoops of ice as to get that texture and the refreshing feel. Blender is better, but it simply isn’t that much practical as a shaker due to the time required for cleaning it.

As for the aroma, you get the scent of cocoa (again, I only tried the chocolate one). Scent and taste don’t quite match though. Taste seems to be somewhat less appealing. The scent is awesome though.

What are you gaining in terms of energy

I’ve been taking Shakeology for somewhat over two weeks, and judging on the energy I have I can say that some rise is apparent. Though I measure things in terms of how tired I am after doing The Insanity Workout, the fitness program, that is, and having enough energy to do that and still feel good is a great indicator of the boost Shakeology provides.

Many Shakeology reviews claim that there is a super human like energy rise to be noticed, but the truth is you just feel way better and slightly more energized. Nothing more than that.

About food cravings

During the first two or three days you will feel hungry quite more than usual. This process is quite normal since you replace solid food with liquid. The change though will come sudden, and you will realize that after forgetting about lunch after a while. However, this is nothing magical or any of the like, so it last only so much. You will have the usual cravings in the afternoon if let’s say you took Shakeology in the morning.

About weight loss and looks

If there is something that you will take from this Shakeology review let it be this – this is a meal replacement that is full with benefits on your health, time and money saving, as well as a great source of energy. Expecting that it will make wonders without you breaking a sweat is downright stupid.

Not the oh-look-how-adorable kind of stupidity, either. It’s more of the driving-down-the-wrong-side-of-the-road-until-you-kill-somebody variety.

Granted, replacing a meal with only healthy nutrients that are easily absorbed by your body as well as eliminating the food cravings will for sure shed some pounds either way. But don’t expect more than 10 pounds in a month. Even that can be a lot in some cases.

You will look better though. Smoother and healthier skin, that glow I was talking about, more refreshed and alarmed.

In combination with some fitness routines

If you are into sports you will find this meal replacement useful since it provides a lot of energy. However, if you really want to see what a great combination of intense fitness program and a great nutrient source is capable of, go and try signing up to a gym or better yet, try programs like The Insanity Workout or Focus T25.

The effect it will have on your lifestyle

Having a busy and dynamic lifestyle you probably ask whether this is going to make some change, for better, for worse or if any.

Having all the things discussed above there is a conclusion to be made.

First of all you save some time in preparing and consuming a meal. Schedule it for the mornings as a breakfast, and it’s a jewel in terms of saving time. Also, if you experience stress in the mornings, having to prepare a meal and rush to work, you can now deal with it in a better way. Besides, Shakeology being tasty and liquid, I don’t get that nausea I usually have on breakfast.

Feeling full and craving less for food, it definitely puts you in a better mood overall. And while we are discussing mood, here is what I found on their blog:

“One scoop of Shakeology provides 100% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin B12. B12 is often linked with good mood maintenance; B vitamins are also essential for the production and proper functioning of neurotransmitters like dopamine, crucial to the experience of pleasure. Shakeology also contains cacao, which is very high in phenylethylamine (PEA). PEA acts as a neuromodulator to enhance one’s mood.”

I guess that explains some of the great mood I’ve been experiencing lately. This might be just placebo, reading this now, but anyway…

One of the better things in terms of lifestyle change is definitely the increased cognitive focus and alertness. You can forget caffeine from now on.

However the best thing that you can experience while on Shakeology is the boost in energy levels. You will have so much energy that there will emerge a need for you to go and waste some. If that’s the case and you find yourself short of ideas, be my guest and try The Insanity Workout. It calms down even the hyperactive ones.

The price issue – What many Shakeology reviews fail to tell

Before trying Shakeology I did thought a lot about the price. And here is something I like you to take with you in this Shakeology review – it’s cheap.

The reason why people feel strong about the price is mostly because you pay it upfront. If you do the math and calculate how much you spend on breakfast during the entire month, or how much you just spend on snacks as to satisfy your food cravings, then thinking that Shakeology is too expensive is just wrong.

You see, if you try and squeeze some healthy ingredients in your breakfast (proteins, vitamins, minerals…) it will be a lot more than paying for Shakeology.

Besides you are paying more for food with less nutrients and health benefits.

Combining it with other supplements

An interesting thing about Shakeology is that you don’t really need to take supplements while on it. You will get a plenty of protein, as well as enough vitamins and minerals. Now, some may seem quite skeptical just as I did when comparing the amount of vitamins and minerals with traditional supplement intake, though here is the thing.

Since Shakeology promotes better nutrient absorption, even what you take less of some vitamins is actually used more by your body. Instead of being flushed through your system, the vitamins and minerals actually go where they should.

That’s why there is no need of any additional supplements while taking this meal replacement.

Once again about saving huh? Recalculate the price again I bid ye.

Where can you buy Shakeology from?

No matter whether you are looking for something that will aid you in conquering your fitness goals, or simply improve your overall health and well-being, you can really consider giving Shakeology a try.

Shakelogy, although nothing magical or any of the like, will add some energy as well as improve various aspects of your health due to the ability to use more from nutrition, having better digestion, improved mood and even detoxification of your body. It is easy to use and prepare meal replacement, and the price is fairly set when thinking about how much you are gaining when compared with the junk food people spend money on.

Try it and see your lifestyle improving by the day. I sincerely hope that this Shakeology review helped you decide whether this is the right thing for you.

On a related note, we’ve just launched Fitness Updated, a workout program that is totally customizable, free to try out, and way cheaper than any of the Beachbody programs. You can also combine it with Shakeology.

Get in the best shape of your life

15 opinions already. What's yours?

Max CarraraDecember 25th, 2012

Shakeology is really the next best thing to other similar fitness shakes available on the market. Will buy one for myself soon! :)

David GardnerJune 2nd, 2013

Shakeology keeps my cholesterol in the 150 range…incredible product, and great article!

BradJuly 8th, 2013

Slavko,

Great article, and thanks for sharing your experience. My wife bought Shakeology as part of an effort to lose weight after her second pregnancy. Because she didn’t like the taste she stopped using it but urged me to try and supplement my poor diet. Although I am somewhat of a gym rat and exercise freak, I struggle to eat the proper foods and therefore don’t always get the proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients. I have been using Shakeology for about 2 weeks now and the improvement in my energy level is through the roof. My wife has even commented on the fact that even my complexion has improved significantly.

I don’t work for Shakeology and am not a “coach” (whatever that means). I just wanted to share my experience as someone who doesn’t always “eat right”. For someone like me, having a shake in the morning significantly improves the way I feel. Probably more so than someone who eats right to begin with.

Thanks,

Brad

Slavko DesikJuly 10th, 2013

Hey Brad, nice to hear that.
Nowadays I pay a lot of attention on diet, so I haven’t consumed the shake for some while. This reminded me how great it was. As soon as I stop with this high protein diet for muscle growth, Shakeology will be perfect for keeping me there.

Have a great day

AprilJuly 20th, 2013

Shakeology 3 day detox not worth it! Expensive you still feel hungry and weak even after following the steps everyday.

Slavko DesikAugust 4th, 2013

I’m skeptical about the detox too. It is after all a meal replacement.

ConnieSeptember 24th, 2013

Thank u. Going to buy it now !

DonnieciaOctober 11th, 2013

Hey,

Thank you for the review! I just started Shakeology this week as well as my T25 workout. I have completed Hip Hop Abs and did about one week of P90X. This is my first time trying a Beachbody supplement. It was because they offered me a free sample with my recent purchase. I actually went and made the big leap to purchase Shakeology. I am super excited and your post helped solidify my decision. Thank you for your time!

Dee!

Slavko DesikOctober 11th, 2013

Hi Donniecia
I’m glad I helped. And big congrats for taking this amazing journey. I can still remember the excitement when I first started Insanity. It will be great if you drop us a line some time from now and let us now how is everything like.

Have a great day
Slavko

SamieOctober 22nd, 2013

Hey Slavko,

Thank you for this honest review of Shakeology. I feel more confident in making the purchase after reading this. I did have a lot of questions and you have answered pretty much all of them. I do have another question though. I will replacing my morning smoothie with shakeology and am wondering if I was consuming too much fruit sugar that was working against my weight loss goals? Thoughts? I mostly used fresh or frozen fruits and then added spinach, and/or kale and hemp hearts…what do you think?

Slavko DesikOctober 24th, 2013

Hi Samie,
I think that, as much as fruit might have contributed to increased glucose levels, it;s the other way around. Meaning- your smoothies lacked all the other nutrients, mostly protein. Adding it to the picture it changes your meal composition and the effect it produces dramatically.

DoloresNovember 15th, 2013

Hello, read your review and it sounds great. I am worried about spending the money and then it just end up sitting on my counter. I was wondering if you had any bad side effects? Especially since it is a detox also. information would be helpful, thank you

Slavko DesikNovember 18th, 2013

Hi Dolores,
I, myself, never experienced any bad side effects. The detox argument probably refers to using Shakeology as your only meal for couple of days as to do a cleanse. I never did this, but only used Shakeology as a meal replacement for only one meal of my day.

DoloresNovember 18th, 2013

Ok thank you.

MichaelDecember 17th, 2013

Slavko,

I was wondering if you would mind emailing me this article/review. I am working on starting a health and fitness program where I utilize P90X and the nutrition plan to help people get healthy. I also am in the process of becoming a Shakeology user and want to promote Shakeology to my clients. I would like to share your review with them. Your thoughts and recommendations are certainly welcome. Thank you for you time.